Celebrating the History of Academic Law Libraries in Cape Town

The Van Zyl Collection of Legal Antiquarian Materials was gifted to the University of Cape Town (UCT) in 1949, with the Brand van Zyl Law Library opening in 1962.

In celebrating the Brand van Zyl Law Library 60th year, their Dean of Law, Professor Danwood Chirwa has said:

Law libraries are absolutely central to law academics, researchers, students, and legal professionals. Law librarians equally are central to the pursuit of justice through the provision and preservation of law information and resources.

The library was established through a donation of Bran van Zyl's private collection, and has grown over the past 60 years to be one of the top law libraries on the continent.

The Libraries Executive Director at UCT has said the success of the library was:

made possible by the professionalism, commitment and tenacity of the library staff who set the standards of practice and engagement.

and that

It is also a testimony of the volunteerism and passion of academic staff to grow the rare and antiquarian collection, which is now reputed to be one of the best of its kind.

To celebrate the milestone 60 years the library has launched a digital exhibtion on ibali - Digital Collections UCT. Take a look and learn about the timeline of the library, the first edition of South Africa's first legal textbook, and it is lovely to see that the exhibition also includes the history of the law librarians who have led the library.

Along with details of other donations to the collection, you can learn more about the Van Zyl Collection of Legal Antiquarian Materials which boasts holding items dating back to the 1472, Opus restitutionum usurarum et excommunicationum (Restitution, usury and excommunication) by Franciscus de Platea.

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